VFX (Report 1)

                            VFX Report # 1

 

 

 Define VFX and Motion Graphics

VFX (Visual effects) combine existing footage with computer generated images to create realistic scenes. Common uses include sky changing, logo removal, and environmental effects such as snow, fire, smoke, and lightning. In film, visual effects (VFX) is the creation or manipulation of any image on the screen that is not physically present in real life. Visual effects allow filmmakers to create environments, objects, creatures, and even people that would otherwise be impractical or impossible to film in the context of live footage. Cinematic visual effects often involve the integration of live action sequences with computer generated imagery (CGI).

Motion graphics is synonymous with dynamic graphics. Common uses include cover page layouts, lower third graphics for interviews, and art cards. How It Works, Mocap motion capture is often the process of digitally recording an actor's movements and transferring those movements to a computer-generated 3D model. When this process involves recording an actor's facial expressions, it is often referred to as "performance capture." A typical method of motion graphics is to place an actor in a motion capture suit covered in special markers that the camera can track. The data obtained from the cameras is then mapped onto a 3D skeletal model using motion graphics software. This whole working process is called motion graphics.

 Making of VFX process (VFX pipeline)

 

The VFX pipeline refers to the various production steps required to add visual effects to a movie. Pipelining helps organize each department so that each artist knows their role and can move forward within an assigned production time frame. If you want to work as a VFX artist, you need to understand the VFX process. Regardless of your role in the pipeline, you need to know the purpose of each department to work better and more efficiently. If your work isn't completed at each stage of the pipeline, it can cause problems down the road and you could get fired for doing it again. It is expensive and can prevent this process.

Every film project is divided into 3 stages, Pre-Production, Production, and Postproduction.
Pre-production: Ideas for the film are created, scripts are written and rewritten, budgets and deadlines are set, financing is secured, actors are cast, and locations are set. Is determined.
 
Production: Filming takes place on set: on location, in studio, both are commonly used.
 
Post-production: Visual effects are applied to the footage, sound, editing, and color grading, and the film is ready for distribution.
 
While the visual effects pipeline touches every step of the movie-making process, much of the visual effects work is in post-production.
 
And there are 12 following steps in VFX process.

       Storyboarding and animatics 
       Pre-vis
       Concept art and design
       Matchmove and camera tracking
       Layout and production design 
       Modeling and asset creation
       Research and development (R & D)
       Ragging
       Animation
       FX and simulation
       Lighting and rendering
       Compositing

 Research & Inspiration

The VFX production house which inspire me a lot is Red Chillies Entertainment. A division of Red Chillies Entertainment, is an award winning Visual Effect company founded by Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan, along with Keitan Yadav (COO) & Haresh Hingorani (CCO). 

SRK's vision of building a world-class studio was founded in 2006. Redchillies vfx envisioned the desire to make realistic animation and high-end visual effects technologies available for movies. In 13 years of existence, Redchillies vfx has established itself as one of the leading VFX studios in India. Entering its fourteenth year as a divisional visual effects unit, Readchillies had the opportunity to work not only on Indian reference/VFX films, but also on international films during this period. The company has made a name for itself in the film industry, and its blockbuster movies like Chak De India (2007), Ra. One (2011), Krrish 3 (2013) and FAN (2016). 

The software and tools they developed are the new age tools to beat all cinematic limitations and create stylized motion graphics. Redchillies vfx has a strong R&D team that is constantly striving to develop cutting-edge tools, cutting-edge techniques, and state-of-the-art technologies. And combine them with award-winning third-party apps used in workflows. These tools help them complete multiple projects simultaneously without compromising planning and quality standards.

BTS of Film (ZERO)

     Behind the scenes of VFX process

Role of VFX artist in industry

     The world of digital motion media can be a scary place. Like most industries, it's full of words that can be scary and confusing. When working with post houses, it's important to have a general understanding of the differences between a few key areas so that you can effectively communicate your views to the team before proceeding with the project. The phrases you usually hear are visual or visual effects and motion graphics. 

       The demand for visual effects artists in the industry has always been a concern for everyone in the world. Over the course of a decade, I've watched people around me freelance and travel the world looking for project-based services to work on some of the biggest movies of the year. It is a competitive and demanding environment, but not only for artists, but also for companies that compete for the best talent to achieve the best results in the shortest possible time. The demand for visual effect artists has been continuously increasing in the last few years. 

       As we see visual effects for television and broadcast productions becoming more common, YouTube is the next logical step where major content producers will invest in any type of high quality post production. And with the rise of Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, Twitch, Disney+ and Apple's new streaming service, we see a growing field of opportunity for digital artists. Netflix also recently opened its own animation studio and started hiring. On other hand we can’t deny that artistic professions are rare and it is desirable to be able to earn a living permanently. Aggregate demand does not appear to be slowing, which means permanent jobs and fixed income. People with new ideas and visions, using new technologies and media, will always create new experiences for masses, opening up vast new areas for people with deep insights to thrive. VXF is a very strong and future-proof field of work and skills that will be in demand for years to come. 

      Types of VFX artist roles

• compositing artist
• effects (FX) technical director (TD)
• FX animator
• multimedia artist
• VFX artist
• VFX supervisor

Salary

The VFX industry is mainly made up of freelancers and fixed-term contracts. A common way to enter this industry, especially within film, is as a runner.

• A runner earns between £15,000 and £17,000.
• The average salary for a visual effects artists with one to three years of experience in the industry is £27,000.
• A mid-level artist with three to seven years' experience can expect to earn in the region of £38,000.
• Senior VFX artists with over seven years' experience earn an average of £54,000.

Old VS New version of VFX

 

The 1960s were a decade of really cool visual effects, where viewers having fun about everything they saw on screen. One of the revolutionary moments was the infamous Skeleton War scene in Jason and Argonauts (1963). Created by Ray Harry Hausen and done in completely stop motion animation, he managed to bring these skeletons to life on film and connect them with the real actor. This is a very popular series in the visual effect industry, which is still followed by many artists today. While it certainly doesn't live up to today's visual effects, it was an ideal setting for its time and helped pave the way for things to come. 

Special effects to visual effects

The world of effects in movies has certainly come a long way from special effects to visual effects mastery. In recent years, we have seen movies that are constantly trying to push the limits of visual effects, trying to achieve more realistic and reliable images that can be compared to real actors and you don't notice the difference. For a closer look at where we've been over the last decade, take a look at the Golem in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers and compare it to the Golem in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. As technology advances and the tools used to create the characters in this world improve the quality of things on screen. The recent release of Dawn of the Plant of the Apes features a very realistic apes and many advances in motion capture and visual aesthetics of the apes, such as fur. Rise of the Planet of the Apes, for example, was one of the first films to use motion capture outdoors, not in a purpose-built motion capture studio. Other movies are shot mostly on green screen, with the rest left to visual effects artists. Now VFX is a very important part of movies like without visual effects today’s movies look incomplete.